Raghvendra jolted awake, his wife gently removing his blanket and urging him to wake up. But as his eyes snapped open, he realized he wasn’t in his room—he was in a dim, eerie cave. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of dripping water. Clenching his right hand, he felt the familiar hilt of the sword. A dark path stretched before him, faintly illuminated by the blueish light filtering through the gaps in the cave’s rocky walls. He gulped his saliva, his grip tightening as he moved forward. The cave was full of small macabre symbols etched into the walls, their shapes twisted and grotesque, suddenly a gust of wind brushed past his face. His eyes bulged out as he swung his sword in panic, only the blade to cut through the still, oppressive air. Raghvendra took a deep breath, the stillness of the cave was only shattered by the pounding of his own heart

  Then, a hiss echoed in his ear, making him spin around. A droplet of sweat fell to the ground, but this time, it didn’t echo, adding to the suffocating silence. He tightened his grip and held the sword in both of his hand, the sound of the dripping water also disappeared, the cave felt silent Before he could react, an invisible force slammed into him with crushing intensity, sending him flying several meters backward. He crashed to the ground, a sharp pain stabbing through his back. A silent scream escaped his lips as crimson red seeped from his mouth. He struggled to catch his breath; each inhalation was sharp and painful. His vision blurred, the edges of the world growing indistinct, while his body trembled with exhaustion and pain.

  When his son's voice echoed in his mind, “Father, get up! Get up!” The voice was firm, urging him forward with a sense of urgency, with every ounce of strength he could muster, Raghvendra reached out and gripped the sword. As his blood-soaked hand gripped the handle, the sword hummed with power, channeling its energy into him, healing his wounds in an instant. The sword radiating lightning with flames all around it. He suddenly rose, standing like a behemoth, his muscles rippling with newfound strength, arms outstretched as if defying the world around him. With just a single swing, the monsters disintegrated into ash. Suddenly Raghvendra fell to his knees, exhausted from the fight. He, trying to catch his breath, focused on the sword in his hand, attempting to make sense of the chaos that had just transpired. The silence of the cave seemed to stretch on—until a sharp clap of hands broke it, echoing through the stillness

  Raghvendra’s grip on his sword tightened, but his frantic, wide-eyed gaze softened. Before him, a figure emerged from the shadows—a man cloaked in a long, flowing black coat, topped with a tall magician’s hat that seemed to float above him. Following closely behind was an army, including that suit man.

  That man in coat spoke, his voice deep yet tinged with an unsettling joy. "Welcome to my kingdom, Raghvendra."

  Confused and overwhelmed, Raghvendra hesitantly asked, "Who are you? What is happening to me?

  The man with a smirk answered, “OHH! Sorry! My name is KUA, half-brother of LORD YAMRAJ. This—" he gestured expansively, "—is my kingdom, Kua."

  He pointed upwards, “My brother handles the good soul in heaven while me.”

  He pointed downwards, “Handles the bad souls. And you, my BOY,” he said with a chilling grin, "you are my hunter."

  Raghvendra struggled to understand. "But why me?

  He replied, leaning on that suit man, “Because of two reasons: First, you no longer have a family. And the second? Well, you’ll understand when the time is right”

  Without waiting for a response, KUA turned to that man in the suit. "He’s my best asset. He will explain and give you a tour."

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  Without another word, KUA gestured to his army. "Carry on with your work." he lifted his hat and bid Raghvendra goodbye and vanished into the shadows.

  The man in the suit escorted Raghvendra into a room cloaked in pitch darkness, save for a single, glowing light illuminating a stone at the centre. The eerie stillness of the space seemed almost alive, pulsating with unspoken energy.

  Breaking the silence, Raghvendra asked, "What’s your name?"

  "I don’t have one, but you can call me Misty," the man replied.

  Raghvendra smirked. "Misty? Strange name for someone like you." Misty’s sharp glare silenced him, and Raghvendra quickly apologized as they approached the stone.

  Misty stopped right before it, the faint glow casting long shadows across his face. "Your role," Misty explained, "is to hunt lingering souls—those who defy the Yamadootas (Messengers of Yamraj, who guides the soul afterlife) and refuse to move on. He waved his hand above the stone, and a large, transparent display materialized before them. In awe, Raghvendra asked, "What’s this?" Misty replied, his tone steady, "It determines whether a soul ascends to heaven or descends into the depths of KUA." Raghvendra’s eyes widened in shock as he asked, "What is KUA?" With a cold smirk, Misty’s voice grew deeper, "HELL."

  Raghvendra’s voice trembled as he asked, "Can I see my family?" Misty nodded, his gaze unwavering, and waved at the display.

  His eyes filled with a mix of fear and longing as he saw his wife, Muskan, and his son, Arjun’s souls, asleep. Pointing at them, Raghvendra asked, his voice cracking, "Why does it say, 'To be decided'?"

  Misty replied quietly, "Their fate hasn’t been decided yet."

  Before Raghvendra could ask further, Misty shushed him and said, "Enough for today." As Misty left, Raghvendra noticed another stone—small and black—in the shadows. Misty turned, his gaze dark and enigmatic. "Ready or not. It begins now.” And Misty left the room, leaving Raghvendra behind, alone.

  Inside an old apartment, filled with dust and decay. A group of three men were toying with the yamadootas when Misty and Raghvendra appeared at the entrance, they at first observed them as the three embarrassed the yamadootas by playing bullfighting with them. Seeing the condition of yamadootas, Raghvendra curiously asked, “Why aren’t the Yamadootas attacking them?” his voice tense.

  Misty with a calm demeanour replied, “Because they are forbidden to interfere. That’s where you come in.”

  Raghvendra again asked, “And what did the three do?”

  Misty turned, his eyes filled with rage, “Raped a three-year-old.” and the burn house of a poor on the orders of a wealthy tycoon.”

  Raghvendra staggered backward, a memory flashing vividly before his eyes—the day when he coldly instructed his secretary to forcefully evict poor families to clear the land for a mall project. A pang of guilt tightened his chest. When Misty’s sharp snap jolted him back to the present. "Hey! We don’t have time.”

  There, one of the men raised a stick, aiming to strike the Yamadootas, but Raghvendra stepped in. The man laughed, mocking his attempt, and said to his friends, “Another Soul Hunter.” Raghvendra materialized his sword and swung at the man’s neck, but he blocked it effortlessly with his bare hand. Shock etched Raghvendra’s face as he turned to Misty. “I forgot to mention,” Misty said coolly. “The more dreadful things one does in life, the more powerful they become in the afterlife.” Before Raghvendra could react, a brutal kick sent him flying several meters away.

  Before Raghvendra could recover, the second man threw a radio at him as a distraction, while the third struck him from behind with a rod. Raghvendra collapsed, losing his grip on the sword. From afar, Misty shouted, “Concentrate!”. One of the attackers lunged at Misty, but with a snap, Misty burst his hand into flames. Distracted, the second one hit Misty with a jar, knocking him down. The three laughed at them, mocking their failed attempt. When, from a distant echo, Muskan’s voice pierced the fog of his mind. “Time to show your power.” Her words, though faint, stirred something deep within him. The memories of his past, the guilt that had haunted him, surged to the surface, fueling his will to rise. As her words faded, the sword in his hand burst to life with flames and crackling lightning. With a swift swing, he decapitated one of the attackers, his body now glowing with an otherworldly energy. The remaining two charged at him, but Raghvendra stabbed them both, causing them to vanish into thin air. But from above, someone was silently observing it all.